Treasongate: Classified Information

by eriposte

In an earlier post, I had noted that when Karl Rove leaked Valerie Plame's CIA identity to Matt Cooper of Time magazine, his statements to Cooper made it crystal clear that Rove knew that he was divulging classified information (no surprise since a CIA agent's identity is classified).

What then do you make of this statement by President George Bush on September 30, 2003:

THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action.

McCLELLAN: Let me make it very clear. As I said previously, he [Karl Rove] was not involved, and that allegation is not true in terms of leaking classified information, nor would he condone it.

QUESTION: He does not condone people pointing reporters toward classified information that's been released; he would not condone that either? Is that what you're saying?

McCLELLAN: The President doesn't condone the activity that you're suggesting, absolutely he does not.

Or this on October 10, 2003:

QUESTION: Scott, earlier this week you told us that neither Karl Rove, Elliot Abrams nor Lewis Libby disclosed any classified information with regard to the leak. I wondered if you could tell us more specifically whether any of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA?

McCLELLAN: I spoke with those individuals, as I pointed out, and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this. And that's where it stands.

QUESTION: So none of them told any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA?

McCLELLAN: They assured me that they were not involved in this.

Let's be clear. Either Karl Rove lied to the President (and Scott McClellan) and should be fired by the White House and censured by Congress.

Or the President of the United States lied to the American people and should resign and be censured by Congress.